


Ioktath - Or, Cats keeps picturing Theron's conception

by commanderlurker (honeybee592)



Series: Cats, the V is silent [12]
Category: Star Wars Legends: The Old Republic (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Family Dynamics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-10
Updated: 2019-03-10
Packaged: 2019-11-14 16:45:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,329
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18056285
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honeybee592/pseuds/commanderlurker
Summary: Finding out Jace Malcom is Theron's father comes as a shock to Cats. She's determined to find out more, only her overactive imagination keeps getting in the way.





	Ioktath - Or, Cats keeps picturing Theron's conception

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote the bulk of this before I knew about Theron's ~involvement~ with the Iokath mission. So now this fic has much sadder undertones than I originally intended.

Oh great. The Empress of the Sith Empire and the Supreme Commander of the Republic, both courting Cats’ favour. Like Cats’ day could get any worse. At least they’re on holo and not here in person. Yet.

“Thank you for extending the Empire this honour, Commander,” Acina says.

Jace Malcom nods. “The Republic’s glad to see you--and my son--on Iokath.”

Wait. Son? Cats looks at the Imperial guy Lana caught, Quinn or whatever, but he’s clearly not Malcom’s son.

“Keep me out of this, Malcom,” Theron spits.

“Whoa! You’re his son?” Cats gapes at Theron. “He’s your dad?”

Theron glares at Cats. “Leave it.”

Fine. There’s enough going on so she’ll leave it. For now.

Lana takes over. “Supreme Commander Malcom, Empress Acina. Your armies have started a war over a superweapon of immeasurable power…”

Cats can't stop staring at Jace Malcom. He doesn't look anything like Theron. He's huge, even over the holo. Theron is… Well, he’s not _that_ short, but he’s built more like Satele. Her mind buzzes with questions, the loudest one being, how come Theron never mentioned him? Not even once. And it's not like she’s never asked. What was it he said? “Master Zho is the only father I've ever had.” That's clearly bullshit. She's going to get to the bottom of this.

*

Supreme Commander Jace Malcom is… a lot bigger in real life. If Cats wasn’t so pissed off about having fight her way through these Imp and Pub idiots, she’d be intimidated. But she’s got someone else’s blood on her skin and she just wants to go home.

Jace makes small talk, which neither she nor Theron can be bothered with. Especially Theron. She’s relieved when Theron tells Jace to get to the point. They’ve secured a base on Iokath, but so have the Imperials. They’re looking at a protracted conflict to secure some stupid fucking superweapon.

But Cats has to admit, she is impressed. These Republic guys have military discipline. Without them, Cats and Theron, Lana and the handful of Alliance troops Lana brought with her would’ve been wiped out.

“Glad to have you on our side,” she says. “Could’ve used used a strong warrior like you ages ago.”

There’s an awkward pause. Jace looks at her sideways. Theron makes a pained noise. Oh, oh no. “Wait, that wasn’t--I didn’t--”

“Let’s focus on the mission,” Jace says. He sounds like he just stepped on a block in bare feet while walking through the house in the middle of the night to comfort his crying infant son. He recovers enough to bang on about the Alliance-Republic advances while Cats stands there nodding and trying to pay attention. But she just accidentally flirted with her boyfriend’s dad. Estranged dad, but still. Fuck.

Lana joins them and the awkwardness eases as the four of them hash out a plan to get the advantage over the Empire. Cats still feels awful about allying with the Republic. She actually likes Empress Acina. Too bad everyone wants to pick sides when the galaxy’s still healing from the wrath of Eternal Empire. She glances between Theron and Jace, like she’s paying attention to what they’re saying. There’s not much overlap between them. Maybe the eye colour. A golden green with hints of hazel…

“Cats, you and I will lead a team and take the weapons factory,” Theron says.

Cats snaps from her daze. “Weapons factory. Right. On it.”

Theron gives her the glare that means he knows she hasn’t been listening. Whatever. She doesn’t want to be here anyway.

*

Getting to the weapons factory is easier said than done. Feels like half the Empire is here.

“Is Jace Malcom really your father?” Cats asks. She pops out from cover to fire off a few rounds.

“Apparently,” Theron replies.

“So you don't actually know? How does that work?”

Theron sighs and switches blasters. “We did the math. It checks out.”

“You can test for this, you know. I heard it's a force thing. I’m pretty sure. You should ask Lana--”

“Cats! Not right--”

A pair of Imps whirl their way towards Cats and Theron's cover. Some coordinated shots and the enemy is down.

“How come you never told me?” she asks.

Theron checks the Imp bodies. “It's not relevant to anything.”

“Bullshit it's not relevant! He's your dad!”

Theron grinds his teeth before looking at Cats with an uncomfortable mix of pain and anger. “He wasn't my father when I needed one.”

She stops, but she's not letting go of this.

*

As the fight on iokath continues, Cats gets more annoyed. She doesn't want to be fighting over this fucking planet and she sure as shit doesn't want to be fighting over some stupid superweapon. They only just finished dealing with an _eternal_ empire, and now this? And every time Jace Malcom sends a holo, Cats can't help but think of him and Satele shacked up together. What did they see in each other? Satele is hot, sure, and Jace was probably a looker before whatever happened to blow half his face off. Her father's voice echoes in her ear, _there's more to a person than what's on the outside. That's why your mother married me_. Sure, but Dad is funny. Satele and Jace are… boring. They probably only ever did it missionary style. But Jace is huge. Imagine being under him. Ergh. So maybe Satele went on top. Either way, it would’ve been _so_ boring.

She’s in bed trying to block out the image of Jace’s O-face when Theron ducks into the room they're sharing on the Republic side of the planet. He says a quick ‘hey’, strips, lays everything out so he can pull it all on in a hurry should the alarms start ringing. He never told her about Jace. She still hasn't had a straight answer from him.

He slips in beside her. Their travel cot is barely big enough for two. It should be a turn on, being forced close like this. But it's not. Theron still seems pissed about Cats’ reunion with Corso and Risha and Akaavi, and Cats is pissed about having to be here. Mom says they need to clear the air, have a proper fight. They did that before coming to Iokath. Didn’t help.

Theron picks up a data pad from the floor and starts reading. The annoyance festering in Cats pops.

“Have you spoken to Jace?” she asks.

“Not today. Got his command report for the day here.” Theron taps the pad.

“That's not what I meant.”

Theron pauses. His eyes don’t leave the pad but they’re not moving. “What did you mean, then.” He doesn't phrase it as a question. The words come out like gravel. So. They’re gonna have another fight.

“You know what I mean.”

He sighs, sets down the pad. “What do want me to do? Invite him in for drinks? Play catch with him? Go fishing? I've told you, we're not like that.”

“He wants that, though.” It's been obvious that Jace has been trying to reach out, but every time, Theron pushes him away.

“Well he's too late.”

“But he's your _dad_.”

Theron snaps. “What do you want from me, Cats? You want me to quote every conversation we’ve ever had verbatim? It won’t take long.”

Cats ploughs on. “What happened?”

Theron huffs.

Cats waits. His jaw is working.

“I don't want to talk about it right now. Maybe… Maybe when all this is over.”

“Promise?” She hold her hand out little finger extended.

Theron rolls his eyes at her but shakes with his pinky. “Promise. Now, can you please drop it?”

She'll try.

*

She gets a few answers, but they come from Jace. The conceptor himself. Cats is in the makeshift cantina, drumming her fingers on the table, waiting for Theron. He said he'd only be ten minutes. That was half an hour ago. She's already had one beer and a bowl of deep fried sausage things that must've been flown in. They were awful. Her stomach feels like the sausages are gaining sentience and will start fighting their way out any time now. Then Jace walks in. And Cats makes the mistake of making eye contact. He smiles and Cats smiles back. He walks over.

‘How does a beautiful woman like yourself not have company already?’ It's a harmless line, Cats knows that. She even appreciates it.

‘Work before pleasure,’ she replies, deadpan.

Jace laughs. ‘He's always been like that. Do you mind if I play substitute?’

That takes her mind to a place she immediately regrets, but she can't say no, that would be rude. So she puts on her polite face and says sure. He waves down the barman and they make small talk while waiting for their drinks to arrive. Gains and losses for the day, advances. Nothing so critical that anyone overhearing them will be privy to classified intel.

Their beers arrive and Jace takes the opportunity to strike while Cats takes her first sip.

‘So. You and Theron seem happy together.’

Cats takes a longer sip.

‘How, uh, how long have you been an item?’

Cats puts her glass down and wipes her mouth with her forearm. She's not actually sure. They've never celebrated an anniversary. She works out a rough number, is shocked, and blurts out ‘almost two years.’

‘Wow. That's… pretty serious, then.’

‘Don't worry. We're not going to have any happy accidents or anything. Ha ha!’

Jace doesn't laugh. He leans in, suddenly intense. ‘Have you talked about having children?’

Cats shakes her head. She’s horrified at the thought.

‘Grandchildren.’ Jace sits back. ‘There's a thought.’ He's all quiet and distant, like he's talking to himself.

Cats chugs half her beer. When she sets it back down, she spots Theron. He's just arrived, looking around. She tilts her head, beckons him over with her eyes. He looks at who she's with and shakes his head. She tries again, more forcefully. Jace is still muttering about babies. Theron mouths ‘sorry’ and leaves. Fucking bastard--

‘What's the bad blood between you and Theron?’

Jace looks up, his revere of knitting booties broken. Now he just looks sad instead of melancholy. ‘We were never close. I… only found out I had a son when he was already an adult. I didn't even know his mother was pregnant.’

‘Holy shit.’

Jace nods slow, in agreement. ‘I'd been recently promoted to supreme commander and had need of the SIS. Theron's dossier passed under my nose and of course the surname made me pause…’ He glances at Cats. ‘Grand Master Satele Shan… She was--’

‘Your lover. I got that. Good taste. She’s hot.’

Jace dips his head in acknowledgement. Cats holds up her beer and the pair clink glasses.

‘I met Theron, then worked out the rest from there.’ He takes a long pull of beer. ‘We worked together on a key mission. Then after… I tried to make the effort to get to know him, catch up for drinks… we were doing pretty well, all things considering. I mostly knew what he was doing from his reports. Pulled rank and got access.’ Jace huffs a laugh. ‘You go a way back. Got up to some adventures together.’

‘We weren't together then. It was just professional.’ Cats tries to ignore the image of Theron on his back in the mud on Yavin 4, her sitting on his lap--

“Of course, of course,’ Jace agrees. ‘After you and Darth Marr disappeared, Zakuul invaded. They were an unstoppable force. I did what I had to to keep the Republic from being destroyed completely. Theron disagreed with my methods. Then the sith, Lord Beniko, she recruited Theron to your Alliance. We… _that_ was our falling out. This is the first time we've spoken in six years.’

And Theron's wanted nothing to do with him. Jace's pain is obvious. How dare Theron not do anything, not make a single move? Sure, Jace is big and scary and busy and the most powerful person in the Republic, but… she remembers what Theron said the other night. Jace didn't raise Theron. Neither did Satele. Master Zho did. He was the one to pick Theron up when he fell, treat scraped knees, teach him how to fight, how to survive. He was the one stepping on blocks in the middle of the night to get to Theron after a nightmare. There's a difference between being a father and being _there._ Jace wasn't there. But he's here, now.

‘Is he happy?’Jace asks.

Cats thinks about the last few months, their arguments, Theron's missions away, the number of nights they've spent alone in cold beds. Her heart sinks. She's said she doesn't do regrets, but she has a few now. She finishes her beer. ‘Yeah, yeah he's happy.’ She hopes she's not lying.

‘Good. I'm glad. He deserves that.’ Jace finishes his beer. ‘I've taken up enough of your time, and it looks like you've been stood up.’

Cats manages a half smile. ‘It's getting late anyway. Thanks for the drink.’

Cats finds Theron in their room, reading a report of course. She climbs into bed and kisses his temple, down his jaw to his neck.

‘Mmm,’ Theron says. ‘Did drinks with my father put you in the mood?’

Bold of him to lead with a joke after deserting her like that. Cats is over that though. A deep sadness washes over her instead. She's going to make it up to Theron. All the questions she's asked about Jace, all the times she's blown him off to ship with her crew… All that stops now.

‘You know I love a man in uniform,’ she says.

‘What about one out of uniform?’

‘Even better.’

They make up for their recent fights, their time away from each other, in a cot that won’t stop squeaking. It’s not perfect, but nothing about them has ever been perfect.

And she only thinks of Jace and Satele banging once.


End file.
